The Mayor Sadiq Khan has visited Stepney Green to launch Thrive LDN, a new movement to improve mental health and well-being across the capital.
He has joined forces with over 200 people to start a city-wide campaign that will support Londoners to lead happier and healthier lives.
This morning, he met with members of TUFF FC, where he spoke to young players and was presented with his own football shirt.
The Thrive LDN camapign will raise awareness of mental heath issues, challenge stigmas, and help improve care.
Londoners report lower levels of life satisfaction, well-being and feeling of self-worth than the national average.
Almost 10 per cent of children and young people living in the capital aged between five and 16 experiences a mental health issue and every week, more than 14 Londoners take their own lives. In 2015, 735 Londoners took their own lives.
The Thrive LDN programme hopes to support more Londoners in maintaining good mental health by developing a programme to stamp out mental heath stigmas and discrimination, working with schools and youth organisations, working with employers to improve mental health in the workplace, using digital technology to boost Londoners’ access to support services, and working with partner organisations to reduce the number of suicides in the capital.
Inspired by a similar movement in New York, Thrive LDN will encourage better working between boroughs, and better health services, police, transport and voluntary sectors when dealing with people with mental health issues.
Mr Khan said: “People from all walks of life are affected by poor mental health. I want London to become a more open and tolerant place where people can speak openly about their mental health and the support they need. Thrive LDN aims to improve Londoners’ awareness and understanding of mental health and achieve real improvements in support and care for those who need it.”
Dr. Anne Rainsberry, regional director for NHS England said: “Thrive LDN is a very promising step forward for London. Our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners by ensuring important conversations happen about everyone’s mental health.”
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